K3 is a Belgian-Dutch girl group with a Dutch-language pop repertoire, consisting of Hanne Verbruggen, Marthe De Pillecyn and Julia Boschman. In addition to music, they are also central to many films, television series and musicals. The signature style and iconicity of K3 rely on all three girls mostly wearing the same outfit, and they are traditionally a redhead, a brunette, and a blonde. Throughout its career, K3 has built a space within Dutch and Belgian pop culture, becoming one of the most successful groups of the Benelux. The group's name is derived from the first letters of the three first members from 1998: Karen Damen, Kristel Verbeke, and Kathleen Aerts.
Aerts stepped out of the formation in March 2009. She was replaced by Josje Huisman later that year after winning the audition reality show K2 Zoekt K3. On 6 November 2015 Damen, Verbeke and Huisman were succeeded by Hanne Verbruggen, Klaasje Meijer and Marthe De Pillecyn after they became the winners of K3 Zoekt K3. In February 2021 Meijer announced her departure from K3 and another audition reality show was held in the same year to find a new member. Of more than 22,000 participants, Julia Boschman won the contest and became part of the group.
History Rise to fame (1998-2002) The band was started by Niels William in 1997. It was first named Mascara and consisted of Karen Damen, Kristel Verbeke and Kelly Cobbaut. Their intention was to form a kind of Flemish version of the "Spice Girls". Because of their first names, they were often already referred as K3. In 1998, Cobbaut left the group to go to college. She was supposed to be replaced by Deborah Ostrega, but she immediately withdrew after she signed the contract, because she didn't want to sing in Dutch. Ultimately, William managed to find Kathleen Aerts as a replacement and because again someone joined with a 'K' as the initial letter, they decided to change the name of the band officially to K3 on 13 November 1998. The first single was "Wat ik wil" (What I want). This release was not very successful.
In 1999, K3 participated in the selection for the Belgian entry for the Eurovision Song Contest with their song "Heyah Mama". The song was not well received by one of the judges, who called the girls "assorted meat products". Notwithstanding, "Heyah Mama" was released as a single and became the first big hit for the band, peaking at the number two spot of the Flemish Ultratop 50 chart, charting 25 weeks. Its popularity grew rapidly. About a year after becoming famous in Flanders, K3 also became famous in the Netherlands.
K3 is noted for being the first pop act to break through to the top of the charts without receiving any airplay from the regular music television channels. Their songwriters became Miguel Wiels, Alain Vande Putte and Peter Gillis.
Joining Studio 100 (2002-2009)
In 2002, Niels William sold the band to Studio 100, a Flemish television production company for Dutch and Belgian programs, movies and musicals.
K3 provided many hits, they had released nine albums. Their eighth album Ya Ya Yippee sold more than 50,000 copies in pre-sales within the Benelux. The ninth album, Kusjes (Kisses), sold 20,000. They also released several DVD's with video clips, musicals, films and with specially recorded footage. K3 has a children's television program called De wereld van K3 (K3's World).
In 2006, a party was held at Plopsaland, a popular theme park, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Studio 100. At the event Damen, Verbeke and Aerts opened the K3 Museum which provides an overview of their career. There are interviews, clothes, and props from the films to be seen, including the air scooters from the film K3 en het Magische Medaillon (K3 and the magic medallion). Their gold and platinum certifications can also be seen.
In 2007, a team from Madame Tussauds in London took measurements of the band members for wax statues. K3 unveiled these at Madame Tussauds Amsterdam the same year. In 2008, the band celebrated their 10-year anniversary with the show 10 jaar K3 (10 years of K3). It was also celebrated in Plopsaland.
Line-up change (2009) On 23 March 2009 Aerts announced her departure at a press conference. "It was a tough decision, after all, I gave the best years of my life to K3. People change and life is constantly in motion; I'm 30 now and after ten years it's time to move on". She made her last two appearances with K3 in June at a Studio 100 showcase at the Rotterdam Ahoy.
Damen and Verbeke then searched for a replacement on television through a talent show called 'K2 zoekt K3' ('K2 searching for K3'). In the final episode, Josje Huisman was chosen as the newest member of K3.
Further success (2010-2014)
The first single with Huisman as part of the group, "MaMaSé!", became a smash hit, peaking at number one for six consecutive weeks in The Netherlands and for seven weeks in Belgium. It listed in the top three of both countries' year-end charts. The album of the same name entered the year-end album chart in both countries in 2009, 2010 and 2011.
In 2010, K3 shot new episodes for their kids-talkshow (now with Huisman) and also started their own sitcom called "Hello K3", in which they portray fictional versions of themselves living in the same building and trying to balance a normal life with being superstars. A new single with the same name was also released on the album Eyo!.
In 2011 they starred in the first 3D-musical in the world, based in Lewis Carrol's Alice in Wonderland. In 2012 they released their album Engeltjes (little angels) accompanied by their fourth movie K3 Bengeltjes. In 2013, they released their album Loko Le and their fifth movie K3 Dierenhotel (K3 Animalhotel).
In 2014 they also started a new unscripted TV-show, 'K3 kan het!' (K3 can do it!'), in which they travel through Belgium and the Netherlands to help children fulfill their dreams.
The new K3 (2015-2021) On 18 March 2015 Damen, Verbeke and Huisman announced through a press conference that they were all leaving the group stating "since we started, we knew there would be a time which we would feel that it was the accurate moment to stop; well, that moment is now present". K3's label has announced that they'll look for new members in late 2015. A second audition television show, K3 Zoekt K3, premiered in autumn to find the new K3 members. On 6 November 2015 Hanne Verbruggen, Klaasje Meijer and Marthe De Pillecyn had been chosen as Damen, Verbeke and Huisman's successors (respectively) and would become the new K3. They were chosen from 6,081 girls.
From autumn 2015, the old and the new K3 went on tour together. For Damen, Verbeke and Huisman this was a farewell tour, for the new trio it was the start of their new career. The tour with double occupancy was a great success and was extended, there was also a special 'adult evening show' with standing room. Kristel Verbeke became the manager of the new K3 for the first 2 years.
Verbruggen, Meijer and De Pillecyn's first release, "10.000 Luchtballonnen" topped the charts in Belgium and The Netherlands, becoming 8× Platinum. The music video of the single also broke the Belgian YouTube record. Five more albums followed. In 2016, their own animated series De Avonturen van K3 (The adventures of K3) premiered. That same year there came a new children's television program called Iedereen K3 (Everyone K3). It was the successor to De wereld van K3 (K3's World). In August they won the 'Radio 2 Zomerhit' award with their summer single "Ushuaia". At the end of 2016, the special Het dagboek van K3 (The Diary of K3) was released, in which K3 looks back on the past year. This was an annual tradition until 2018. The 2016 Story Awards were presented in the Trixxo Arena, K3 won both the award for 'Favorite newcomer' and being the best 'Female Singer of the Year'.
In 2017, K3 started vlogging, leading to a bi-weekly tradition on YouTube and VTM. That same year, the new K3 got their first movie called K3 Love Cruise and there was a new special: Overal K3 (Everywhere K3), in which Verbruggen, Meijer and De Pillecyn showed more of themselves and talked about the impact of K3 on their private lives. In March 2018, there was a collaboration with the singer Jan Smit. They recorded a single together and K3 performed as guest artists at his concert at the sportpaleis.
The fiction series K3 Roller Disco, was released on 31 October 2018. It's a spin-off of 'Hello K3', including a same character and actor from the sitcom. For the first time in history, K3 has started roller skating, which is reflected in the Roller Disco series, their video clip of the title song and on stage during their tour in 2018. On their third album, Meijer played along on her flute, becoming the only K3 member to ever play an instrument by herself on the songs. She also did it on stage during various K3 performances/shows. From 2018, K3 became television judges/coaches on seasons four and five of the Flemish version of The Voice Kids.
In 2019, the band celebrated their 20th anniversary with a spectacle show with moving stands, stages and LED Walls. Includes a moving car, light-up outfits and more than 80 dancers. In May they opened their own roller coaster in Plopsaland named 'K3 Roller Skater' themed around their roller skates and their fiction series.
Initially, a new tour was planned to follow in the spring of 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, this tour was postponed to the autumn of 2021. Responding to the crisis, K3 released a new version of their song 'Handjes draaien' (Turning hands) entitled 'Handjes wassen' (Wash hands) to children to explain a little about the disease and provide them with some support.
That same year, Verbruggen, Meijer and De Pillecyn recorded their second cinema movie K3 Dans van de Farao (K3 Dance of the Pharaoh). After postponement, the movie premiered in June 2021. At the same time a sports event started in collaboration with the sports policy board of the Flemish government and Studio 100, called the K3 Run & Fun. In which there are various sports activities and performances by guests, including K3 and they are also the presenters. Due to its success, the K3 Run & Fun has grown into an annual event in Flanders. In 2023, it was also organized in the Netherlands.
From 2020, K3 became part of the rhythm game series Just Dance with their singles '10.000 luchtballonnen' and 'Dans van de Farao' in Just Dance 2020 and Just Dance 2021, respectively.
Search for new member (2021)
On 9 February 2021, Meijer announced her departure from K3. "K3's life is fantastic, but I feel it's time now to spread my wings; just as there is a beginning and an end for everything, now the time has come for me to look further and broaden my horizons. I will miss Hanne and Marthe enormously". She fulfilled the 2021 group schedules up until the last quarter, including a farewell tour. The last performance of Verbruggen, Meijer and De Pillecyn together as K3 was on 6 November 2021 at the Sportpaleis for 'Back to the Nineties and Nillies', the same date on which they became K3 six years ago.
The label, Studio 100, announced a new member will be cast through a survival show similar to K2 zoekt K3 and K3 zoekt K3. For the first time, both sexes are qualified to join the group. In September 2021, the renewed 'K2 zoekt K3' appeared on Belgian and Dutch television. The audition shows are similar to those of The Voice. The final was on 27 November 2021, where Meijer was also present. De Pillecyn had tested positive for the coronavirus and could not be physically present, she performed by video connection. Ultimately, 19-year-old Julia Boschman became the winner, who was chosen as the new member of K3 from a total of 22,690 candidates.
Further success (2022-)